Support for collars, belts, and the like.



B. c. HANEL. SUPPORT FOB. GOLLARS, BELTS, AND THE LIKE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 16, 1910.

Patented Aug. 8, 1911.

COLUMBIA PLANuulzAPfl $0., WASHINGTON, D. C.

STA

TJ NTTE as r SUPPORT FOR COLLARS, BELTS, AND THE LIKE,

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To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BARBARA C. HANEL, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, county of New York, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Supports for Collars, Belts, and the Like; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to supports or stiffeners for collars, belts, sashes and like articles of apparel and has more particularly to do with means for removably attaching the so-called bones or steels to such articles of apparel to hold the said articles in proper position about the neck or waist of the wearer with the proper and necessary degree of resiliency to serve the comfort and convenience of the wearer.

It has been proposed heretofore to provide means for removably securing the bones or steels aforesaid to the articles of apparel, more particularly lace collars and the like, by providing short narrow strips of fabric with pockets at their ends to receive and hold the bones or steels, the fabric strips being sewed to the collar and the resilient bones or steels being removably held within the pockets to admit of the stitfeners being separated from the fabric strips when the collar is to be washed or renovated, after which the stiffeners are again inserted in proper position. While the construction just referred to offers certain obvious advantages over the former mode of sewing or otherwise permanently attaching the stiffeners to the articles of apparel, yet, nevertheless, it has been found objectionable and unsatisfactory owing to the fact that the hard, sharp edges of the stiffener which is usually made of whale-bone, celluloid, rubber or metal, quickly cut through the light fabric in which the pockets are formed so that the said stiffeners can no longer be held in proper position. Furthermore, in the former types of the fabric containers for the stilfeners, it was necessary for the person applying the same to the article of apparel, to cut the fabric, usually in the form of a tape, to proper length and form the pockets in the ends thereof, by turning the latter back over the body portion and securing the said ends thereto by stitching. This operation Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 16, 1910.

Patented Aug. 8, 1911.

Serial No. 567,288.

was necessarily difficult and timeconsuming and required considerable skill on the part of the operator, to cut the tapes to proper length and apply them accurately to the article of apparel.

The present invention contemplates the provision of a tape or like strip of fabric provided with reinforcing pockets of metal, celluloid, rubber, or other wear-resisting material secured at regular predetermined intervals to the tape or the like, the members of each pair of pockets facing each other so that when a length of tape containing two reinforcing pockets is severed, the ends thereof projecting beyond the reinforcing pockets may be folded over said pockets and stitched to the main body of the tape or in the alternative, the ends may be folded over the back of the tape, in each instance affording a double ply oi. the tape by means of which the latter may be stitched or otherwise secured to the article of apparel. Two methods of applying the stiffener holders to the article of apparel are usually employed, one in which a length of tape sufficient to extend from edge to edge of the collar, belt or the like, is cut off from the continuous roll of tape and containing two reinforcing pockets, and the other method contemplates the severing of a short length of tape containing one of the reinforcing pockets, folding the tape so as to overlie or underlie the reinforcing pocket and then securing the composite pocket consisting of the stiff reinforce and the short section of tape to the article of apparel near the edge thereof.

According to the present invention, both of the methods aforesaid may be practiced and to admit of the operation being carried out with ease and facility even by unskilled operators, it is proposed to manufacture the tape containing the reinforcing pockets secured thereto in continuous lengths which may be sold in rolls or bolts or in any desired lengths severed from the rolls or bolts.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 illustrates a bolt or roll of tape with the reinforcing pockets attached thereto. Fig. 2 is a sectional view showing one mode of attaching the reinforcing pockets to the tape. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing a modified mode of attaching the pockets to the tape. Fig. 1 is a bottom plan view of one of the pockets illustrated in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an edge view of a severed length of tape containing two pockets in which the stiffener is applied. Fig. 6 is a similar view illustrating the ends of the tape folded back and stitched to the body portion thereof. Fig. 7 is a vertical elevation of the construction shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 shows one mode of applying the invention to a collar or the like, and Fig. 9 illustrates an alternative method of applying the invention to an article of apparel.

Referring to the drawings, a indicates a strip or roll of narrow fabric preferably in the form of tape, to one face of which is secured a series of flat, cup-shaped pockets Z), which may be made of sheet metal, celluloid, rubber or other suitable material. In the preferred form of the invention, the pairs of pockets are so disposed that their openings face each other at a predetermined distance apart to accommodate the varying lengths of the bones or stiffening elements employed, the distance usually varying from L1- inches upward. Preferably the pockets of each pair on a given roll of tape are spaced at regular intervals and each pair of pockets is separated from the next adjacent by a short length of tape so that when the tape is severed between the pockets there is left a section of tape at the end sufficient to fold over and cover the reinforcing pocket or to fold against the back of the tape and underlie the pocket.

The reinforcing pockets 6 may be secured to the tape in any appropriate manner and two such securing means are illustrated in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings. In Fig. 2, each of the pockets Z) is rigidly attached to the tape by means of small hollow eyelets or rivets 0 passed through registering openings in the lower face of the pocket and the body of the tape. In the modification shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the lower. wall of the pocket has punched therefrom small triangular tines or points 0 which may be readily forced through the body of the tape and then turned backward parallel with the face of the tape, thereby firmly securing the pockets to the' tape.

It is within the contemplation of the present invention to make the tape of narrow fabric with thepockets attached thereto at regular intervals as an article of manufacture to be made and sold in complete rolls or bolts or in any appropriate or desired lengths therefrom, and it is likewise intended to manufacture the tape of various materials and with the members of each pair of pockets spaced at various intervals to accommodate different commercial lengths of stiffeners employed for collars, belts, sashes and the like. In case the pockets are to be used singly and not in pairs, as for instance when single pockets are to be applied to opposite edges of the article of apparel as indicated in Fig. 9, the

tape may be manufactured with the pockets all facing one way andattached to the top of the tape at such intervals as to allow just sufficient tape between each of the reinforcing pockets, when the tape is severed, to be turned over or under each reinforcing pocket, as indicated in said Fig. 9.

As hereinbefore indicated, the tape containing the reinforcing pockets is intended to be sold in suitable lengths and when the operator desires to apply the pockets to the article of apparel to receive and removably retain the stiffening members, a length of tape containing two facing pockets is cut off along the'dotted lines shown in Fig. 1

and the end portions of the tape beyond the pockets are folded either over the pockets or back upon the reverse side of the tape and stitched thereto, as indicated at a. Fig. 6, after which the tape containing the properly spaced pockets is properly secured to the article of apparel by stitching or other means, as indicated in Fig. 8. The flexible stiffener c is then inserted in the pockets so that the ends thereof engage and are held within the reinforcing pockets 6 without danger of cutting or wearing the fabric or injuring the person or clothing of the wearer. The mode of severing and folding the tape according to the first procedure is illustrated in Fig. 5, which shows an appropriate length of tape with the free ends a adapted to be folded over the reinforcing pockets 1), as indicated in dotted lines, and stitched to the body portion of the tape. The alternative method is illustrated in Fig. 6, in which the free ends of the tape beyond the reinforcing pockets Z) are turned back and stitched to the lower face of the tape.

According to the third mode of applying the reinforcing pockets, a short length of tape, such as indicated in Fig. 3, is cut off from the roll so that the pocket lies near one end thereof and the other free end is folded over the pocket as shown in dotted lines in F 3 and stitched to the opposite portion of the tape, the composite pocket of tape a and pocket 6 being then secured to the collar or other article of wear as shown at a in Fig. 9, two of such pockets being attached at opposite edges of the article of apparel at a suitable distance apart to admit of the stiffener c being sprung into the pockets 6 and also readily removed from said pockets when the article is to be laundered or repaired.

It will be understood that the reinforcing pockets may be made of any suitable material and if desired, given any suitable finish such as by coating with enamel, a thin layer of celluloid or the like, which may be appropriately colored. Obviously, also the reinforcing pockets Z) may be finished smoothly so that they may be safely worn next to the skin withoutdanger of rubbing or abrading, or even inconveniencing the wearer. In Fig. 7 there is illustrated a mode of applying the invention with the pockets 1) uncovered on their inner side. In Fig. 8, the pockets are completely incased within the tape and two such pockets are shown upon a single length of tape which extends across the collar. In Fig. 9, two separate or incased pockets 6 are attached to the opposite edges of the collars, but it is obvious, of course, that the reinforcing pockets 11 illustrated in Fig. 9, may be left uncovered on one side as in Fig. 7.

\Vhat I claim is As an article of manufacture, a strip of narrow fabric or tape having wear-resisting pockets arranged in successive pairs on one face thereof with the pocket openings of each pair facing each other, each of said pockets comprising a stiff cup-like member with means for securing the same to the tape, the distance between the adjacent pockets of different pairs being such that when the tape portion between them is severed at the middle, each free end portion of tape thus created will fold over or under the adjacent pocket at least to such an extent as to completely cover one face of the same.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

BARBARA G. HANEL. Witnesses J OHN 11. Ross, JOHN l/VOI-ILBERG.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

